Senior Commercial Account Executive, UKI - New Business

Zendesk: Transform Customer & Employee Service with AI Agents; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk is seeking a Senior Commercial Account Executive for UK&I to drive new business across the UK and Ireland in a hybrid role. You will build pipelines, engage executives, and lead end-to-end sales cycles for AI-powered customer and employee experience solutions.

Ideal candidates bring 4+ years in B2B SaaS sales, a proven track record of hitting targets, and comfort with strategic conversations at the C-suite level. Travel to client sites will be required.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of B2B sales or solution engineering experience, preferably in SaaS/AI.
• Proven track record of exceeding targets in new-business acquisition.
• End-to-end deal management experience and negotiation skills.
• Experience engaging C-level and VP executives with AI/Generative AI context.
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Clari, Gong.

Responsibilities

• Build pipeline through outbound prospecting, account-based research, referrals, events, and targeted engagement with priority accounts.
• Drive revenue growth by acquiring new commercial customers in the UK & Ireland and developing adoption of the platform.
• Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting through negotiation and closing.
• Act as a strategic advisor to C-Suite and VP executives, articulating the value of Zendesk's AI-powered platform.
• Lead complex and competitive sales cycles with strong communication and value-based selling.
• Pursue cross-sell opportunities to optimize account revenue and profitability.

Skills

B2B sales

SaaS/AI

Deal management

Executive engagement

Negotiation

Tools

Salesforce

Clari

Gong

Job description

Senior Commercial Account Executive, UKI - New Business

Location: Dublin, Ireland, London, United Kingdom

Remote Type: Hybrid

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Job Description

At Zendesk, we’re on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. Behind every customer interaction is an opportunity to make a genuine human connection.

We’re accelerating that vision with cutting-edge, AI-first products, and we’re looking for a driven Account Executive to join our Commercial team across the UK & Ireland. If you’re energised by opening new markets, creating opportunities from scratch, and helping businesses understand the value of AI-powered customer and employee experience solutions, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Build pipeline through structured outbound prospecting, account-based research, referrals, events, and targeted engagement with priority accounts.
• Drive revenue growth by acquiring new commercial customers and developing innovative strategies for account adoption of the entire platform.
• Own the entire sales cycle, from strategic new business prospecting through sophisticated negotiation and expertise closing.
• Act as a strategic advisor to C-Suite and VP executives, articulating the vision and transformative value of Zendesk's AI-powered platform and its impact on business objectives.
• Lead complex and competitive sales cycles utilizing your strong communication skills and value selling to articulate compelling business cases.
• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to cross sell additional products and services to existing customers to optimize account revenue and profitability.
• Leverage data insights, customer intents, and adoption history to effectively prospect new clients and enhance retention strategies, leading to improved conversion rates in new business pipeline and increased retention and expansion of existing clients.

What You Bring To The Role

• At least 4 years of B2B sales or solution engineering experience, preferably in SaaS/AI, with a proven record of exceeding targets.
• Consistently deliver against new-business targets.
• Demonstrable expertise in end-to-end deal management and navigating complex, multi-month sales cycles in the UK/Irish market.
• Work closely with Solution Engineers, Marketing, Customer Success, partners, and sales leadership to create relevant account strategies and deliver excellent customer outcomes.
• Proven ability to engage and influence C-level and VP executives, supported by a strong foundational understanding of AI and Generative AI applications.
• Exceptional presentation, negotiation, and closing skills, along with experience using key sales tools (Salesforce, Clari, Gong).
• Strong foundational understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) principles, with the confidence to discuss strategic AI roadmaps and Generative AI applications with executive stakeholders.
• Ability to travel as necessary to customer and company locations

Working Environment

In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week and visiting customers.

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The intelligent heart of customer experience

Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.

Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e‑mail to [e-mail] with your specific accommodation request.